As well as talking about an upgraded training ground, Ashton also revealed his thoughts on the Bristol City Academy and the recent audit of the facilities in the summer.

The Bristol Post asked if the long term plan might be to eventually try and push the Bristol City Academy up to 'Elite' Academy status from Category Two, as it is currently categorised under the Elite Player Performance Plan, the initiative that rates the youth facilities of football clubs across the country.

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"Yeah, it's something that we talk about fairly often. There's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to run a EPPP Category 2 Academy and we've got two very good team leaders in there: Gary Probert (the Academy manager) supported by Gary Davenport.

WISE Campus, Bristol City Academy (Image: Dougie Allward/JMP)

"You've got people like Suzanne Coombs who heads the administration team in there, linking to Luke Williams with the U23s and Brian Tinnion and his new role.

"They work tirelessly. They've maintained their Category 2 status through the audit and that's extremely well deserved and I can't thank them enough for their efforts.

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"And we see the fruits of that work when we see Zak Vyner, and we see Lloyd Kelly, when we see Bobby and Joe... There's a good group there and they've come through the academy. There's a lot of people who will have influenced and had things to do with that. And from myself and the club we thank them because they work tirelessly."

Bristol City Academy players play at Ashton Gate in 2015 (Image: Dougie Allward/JMP)

"With regards to Category 1 status, yes, it's something we talk about but I think it's important that we develop our academy not in line with a set of rules that ticks boxes for an EPPP status - we have to prepare our academy in the best way that develops players for Bristol City.

"So yes we've hit our criteria for Category 2 but what we're more interested in now - and hence why you've seen Brian Tinnion's role realigned and you've seen the introduction of Luke Williams - is that we've got to develop players that are fit and ready to play for Lee Johnson in that first team.